This invention relates to medical tube assemblies.
The invention is more particularly concerned with medical tube assemblies of the kind including an outer tube and an obturator inserted within the tube.
Tracheostomy tubes are often inserted with the aid of an obturator having a pointed end projecting from the patient end of the tracheostomy tube. The tip of the obturator helps separate tissue, enabling smooth entry of the tube. The obturator also helps stiffen the tube and prevents ingress of tissue into the tube, which could cause blockage. Examples of tracheostomy obturators are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,897, U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,487 and GB2224213. The obturator is pushed into the tracheal tube to its full extent, as limited by a flange abutting the patient end connector on the tracheal tube. The surgeon has to grip the machine end of the obturator and the tube in order to hold the obturator in place and prevent it being pushed rearwardly out of the tube during insertion. Any displacement of the obturator from its correct position may make insertion of the tube more difficult and, by reducing the smoothness of the patient end of the assembly, may cause trauma to tissue around the stoma. After insertion, the obturator is pulled out of the machine end of the tube. Obturators are also used to help insertion of other medical tubes.